Leicester 0-0 Brighton: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Kasper Schmeichel Earns Uninspiring Foxes Point

Leicester endured their fourth draw on the bounce as they were held to a stalemate at home by an impressive Brighton side.

It was an entertaining opening period dominated by the Seagulls, with the visitors spurning a glorious opportunity to take an early lead as Kasper Schmeichel denied Neal Maupay from the spot.

Some impressive defensive work from Caglar Soyuncu then prevented Aaron Connolly from testing Schmeichel once more, as the Seagulls' front two combined effectively throughout.

Leicester eventually started to find their groove following the restart, as the previously anonymous James Maddison became more prominent in possession. They struggled to test Mathew Ryan, however, and continued to grow frustrated as Brighton's defensive block deepened but remained stout.

A claim for a handball against Lewis Dunk was the only event of any significance in the closing stages, as Brighton took another step towards safety with a point at the King Power Stadium.

LEICESTER

Key Talking Point

It's fair to say Brendan Rodgers' return to a double pivot and a fairly unorganised 4-4-2 was a major factor in Leicester's struggles going forward.

With Maddison and Demarai Gray granted freedom to drift in-field from the flanks, the Foxes struggled to stretch the Brighton defence and serve their front two. Everything just seemed a little too compact and it certainly wasn't the free-flowing Leicester side we've grown accustomed to seeing this term.

While they'd enjoy a decent spell after the break and eventually returned to the 4-1-4-1 midway through the second period, Leicester struggled to discover any sort of rhythm in possession as the visitors impressed defensively throughout.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Schmeichel (7*); Justin (5), Soyuncu (7), Evans (6), Chilwell (6); Gray (5), Ndidi (6), Mendy (5), Maddison (6); Iheanacho (5), Vardy (5).

Subs: Barnes (6), Tielemans (6), Perez (5).

Kasper Schmeichel

While Maddison tried his absolute best to add some thrust to a pretty dire attacking performance from Rodgers' men, Schmeichel ultimately earned the hosts a point with his only significant contribution.

His denial of Maupay's effort from 12 yards was comfortable, but it nonetheless ensured Brighton didn't walk away with three points.

BRIGHTON

Key Talking Point

Following the last-gasp victory against Arsenal at the weekend, the trip to the King Power was certainly a 'free hit' for the Seagulls in their bid for safety.

They had little to lose and that was on full display in the first-half as Graham Potter's ideals were laid bare. While the Seagulls enjoyed less of the ball, they were nonetheless able to combine efficiently to progress up the field and pose a threat in behind with the direct Aaron Connolly.

Out of possession was where they really impressed though, as they were rigid in their 4-4-2 and pressed intensely to disrupt the Foxes in possession.

As the hosts improved slightly in the second period and forced Brighton onto the back foot, the Seagulls' backline defended soundly in their deeper block, with the two centre-backs doing a fine job to keep Vardy quiet.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Ryan (6); Lamptey (8*), Dunk (7), Webster (6), Burn (7); Mooy (7), Stephens (5), Bissouma (7), Mac Allister (7); Maupay (5), Connolly (7).

Subs: Duffy (7), Propper (5), March (6), Trossard (5), Murray (5).

Tariq Lamptey

The 19-year-old shone on his first Premier League start on Tuesday evening, seven months removed from his impressive top flight debut against Arsenal back when he was at Chelsea.

While Lamptey was shrewd defensively against a surging Ben Chilwell and floating Demarai Gray, he stood out from an attacking perspective.

His diminutive frame and low centre of gravity make him incredibly tough to dispossess, while he's blessed with an electric burst of pace and impressive ball-manipulation which allows him to excel in one-v-one situations. Aaron Mooy was also a particular beneficiary of Lamptey's capacity to combine.

His mature showing was neatly summarised with his astute recovery of possession following a duel with Jamie Vardy, and overall, it was the sort of showing that would have Chelsea fans questioning why they let him depart so easily.

Looking Ahead

Leicester host top-four hopefuls Chelsea at the King Power on Sunday before making the trip to Merseyside to take on Everton the following Wednesday.

Brighton, meanwhile, host Manchester United on the south coast in a week's time.